The supreme idea of human
life is the realization of God. Religions were made to
perpetuate the teachings of great Souls Who had attained
enlightenment. They have left an account of their personal
experiences for the guidance of posterity. They have all
said that God is omnipresent. Whatever we see around us is
undoubtedly His manifestation, but the question is how to
see Him?
- The Lord's Word is
all pervading;
- There is no place
where His Word does not exist. - Jap Ji
We have see the glimpse of God. - Gurbani
One can experience God only
by rising to His level of super- consciousness. Although the
atmosphere is full of microbes, nothing is visible to the
naked eye. Does that mean that there is nothing in the air?
We can see thousands of tiny objects through a microscope.
Now, there are two possibilities. Either whatever is present
in the air is made to magnify so as to correspond to the
visual level of our eyes, or our vision should become so
subtle as to see these tiny germs clearly. So, it is
impossible for us to see the highly subtle and indescribable
Lord with our physical eyes. When we are able to develop
super-consciousness and subtlety of His level, we can have
some experience of Him. The question is one of developing
the Third Eye. Who can open the inner eye? Only the Master's
Grace can do it.
- Through the Grace
of a Godman,
- You will see the
temple of the Lord within. - Gurbani
The human body is the temple
of God. In order to attain super-consciousness one has to
withdraw from all the physical attachments. So long as we
remain identified with external objects, we cannnot assume a
subtle form. Tulsi Sahib says: "The Lord dwells within us,
but we remain ignorant. Cursed is such a life." Even after
getting human life, if He is not manifested within, it is a
great curse because we can accomplish this task only in
human life. "0 Tulsi! The whole world is suffering from
cataract."
Doctors do not give vision
to cataract patients. They only remove the thin membrane
covering the pupil of the eye. Similarly, the Lord is within
us. He is our Controlling Power. The entire universe is His
manifestation. He can be realized within, but not before our
subtle eye is able to pierce through the darkness within.
Tulsi Sahib and Shams-e-Tabrez
both have said the same thing: "See the Lord with your own
eyes and hear His Eternal Music with your own ears".
If we see through the
darkness inside, we can experience the Divine Light. Tulsi
Sahib says that you will not be able to penetrate through
the darkness without the help of a perfect Master. In this
lies the greatness of a Master Soul, Who can dispel our
darkness and give us the inner experience of Divine Light.
This is possible when our attention is withdrawn from
outside and we rise above body-consiousness. This is not
easy. Despite years of meditation, past sages and seers
could not always get this experience (of Divine Light). They
used to practice Kumbhak (Hatha Yogic
exercise), and after passing through the six ganglionic
centers, got a little inner experience in the center of the
two eyebrows. This practice takes hundreds of years.
- Only the all
powerful Master can pull the soul up;
- He alone can free
us from the prison of oblivion. - Swamiji
Who can rise above
body-consciousness? One who is unattached and is not
engrossed in sensual pleasures can do it. Only such a person
can easily tap inside. Ethical and chaste life is,
therefore, very essential. Even if the Master, by His own
Grace, lifts someone whese life is not pure above body
consciousness, the latter win not be able to withstand it.
It is crystal clear that there are two main obstacles in the
way: passionate desires and anger. To lead a Chaste life is
not enough. We have to overcome all desires. In anger the
soul flows out. Self-indulgence and anger lead to various
other vices. Unless these two enemies are disciplined first,
others- greed, attachment, and egotism- cannot be
controlled. One who succeeds in conquering all these five
enemies is free from suffering. The senses derive their
power from the mind and the mind from the soul. If our
attention is concentrated at the seat of the soul, the
senses become powerless.
Saints show us the way
back to God through Surat Shabd Yoga. Where is the seat of
the soul in the body? At the time of death, the soul
withdraws behind the two eyebrows after leaving the lower
regions. Anyone who is able to withdraw his sensory currents
at this point in his lifetime can open his inner eye. But,
this can be done only through the Grace of a perfect living
Master. First, the Master helps us in withdrawing our
attention from external worldly objects with which it is
identified. In this body - the temple of God - dwell both
our Controlling Power and we. The Master has great power to
pull the soul above the plane of senses to the seat of the
soul. He opens the inner eye. Thus, the spiritual aspirant
has a firsthand experience and does not require any other
evidence.
- Until I see the
Truth with my own eyes,
- I cannot be fully
convinced of what the Master says. - Gurbani
Unless the senses are
controlled, the mind is stilled, and the intellect too is
equipoised, the soul cannot realize itself. Gyan Yoga will
not be of much help. We draw inferences only to acquire
knowledge. But, the true knowledge has to be experienced.
Only an adept who has had a firsthand experience can give
you a taste of it. Similarly, only One in Whom the Divine
Light is manifest can show you Light. Intellectuals and
religious preachers cannot do this work. True inner
experience can be given only by the Grace of a truly
competent Master. By infusing His own life-impulse, He puts
us on the Spiritual Path and then unites us with the Power
of God. One who has subdued the senses qualifies for the
Divine Grace.
Cravings and anger
can be controlled by cultivating chastity and forgiveness.
If you go into details, you will find that these are our
main hurdles. If you were to listen to someone silently, you
will find that he talks of his passionate desires, petty
jealousies, factions, enmities, recriminations, etc. He will
overrate some and underrate others. These vices must be
dispensed with. Prophet Mohammel has said: "If you can
control the two sense-organs; namely, one between the two
lips and the other between the two thighs, I shall stand
surety for you in the Lord's Court." We simply read or hear
these words but never go deeper into their meaning. If these
two virtues were cultivated, it would be a great blessing.
In the absence of these virtues, meditation is hampered.
This is the main object of my laying stress on keeping a
diary.
The first column in the diary is for ahmsa (non-violence)
and forgiveness. Even if someone harms you, forgive him. Do
not injure anybody's feelings. One who practices
ahimsa, would not tell a lie, cheat others, or have
ill-gotten gains. Now, let us see what Saints have said on
the subject.
Chastity and forgiveness
are the two basic and noble virtues of all. If we acquire
these virtues, we will be successful in our meditation.
Christ says: "Suffer little children to come unto me, for
theirs is the Kingdom of God." Children are endowed with
these two qualities. They are totally indifferent to sex.
They never mind even if they are naked. If they go astray,
we (parents) are to blame. If they fight with each other,
they soon reconcile their differences. Let us become like
little children and we will be successful in our meditation.
A competent Master, by virtue of the God Power working in
Him, turns away your attention from outer pursuits, pulls it
above the plane of senses, and opens the inner eye. He gives
to the spiritual aspirant some capital of inner experience
which is His Grace, but it is our responsibility to preserve
it.
Ibrahim Adham, King of
Bukhara, once went to Sant Kabir. He served his Master
(Kabir) day and night. Mother Loi, one of Kabir's disciples,
one day praised Ibrahim for his selfless service to the
Master and felt that Ibrahim had become a deserving devote
for the spiritual gift. Kabir remarked that lbrahim had not
yet attained maturity. To prove this, Kabir asked her to
throw rubbish on Ibrahim's head from the top of the house
and then listen to what he had to say. She did so. At this,
Ibrahim said that he would have dealt with the
mischief-monger properly had he been in Bukhara. When Kabir
came to know of Ibrahim's reaction, He said that the latter
had not got over his pride of kingship and egotism and, as
such, he was not mature enough for initiation. After some
time, Kabir told Loi that Ibrahim had become ripe for the
gift of Spirituality. As she had not noticed any appreciable
change in Ibrahim, she wanted to know the criterion for this
verdict. This time, Kabir asked her to throw night-soil on
Ibrahim. She did so. To her surprise, Dorabim said: "O God!
I am even worse than this." Remember, one whose heart is
full of compassion for others, who wishes well after having
been hurt, and prays even for his enemies is known as a
Mahatma (great soul).
Christ was asked as to
what should be the code of conduct in life. On inquiring
about the injunction of Moses in this regard, He was told:
"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." At this Christ
remarked: "It was because your hearts were hardened that he
gave you this injunction." When asked to express His own
opinion, Christ said: "Love thy neighbor as thyself." When
further asked how enemies should be dealt with, He replied:
"Love thy enemies." Jealousy, malice, calumny, backbiting,
falsehood, and fraud can be overcome by love. Unless these
vices are given up, there is no way out. Even good preachers
and reformers are found wanting in chastity and forgiveness.
They indulge in recrimination, falsehood, fraud, hypocrisy,
etc. What is wanted is cultivation of forgiveness. If we
develop child-like qualities, we can reach our goal. Now let
us listen to what Sant Kabir has to say about purity of
life: "When chastity and forgiveness sprout in one's heart,
the invisible Lord becomes visible. Without chastity one
cannot reach Him. Empty words are of no avail."
Kabir says in very clear
words that chastity and forgiveness are the two
prerequisites for God-realization. Without purity of life,
all sermons or learning are of no use. Chastity means purity
of thoughts, words, and deeds. Chastity is life and
self-indulgence is death. Forgiveness is difficult to
practice. Outwardly we pose to be humble, but inwardly we do
not hesitate to harm others.
I remember an incident in
my life. Long ago, my wife was relieved of her purse at a
railway station. The police caught the thief and the purse
was recovered from him. I was asked to lodge a report at the
police station. I told the police it was unnecessary as the
purse had been found. But on their insistence, I had to go
to the police station, perhaps for the first time. I told
the officer on duty that I was not interested in reporting
the matter, but he would not agree and the report was
ultimately lodged. Later, I had to go to the court as a
witness. The police officer talked to me on this issue. He
felt that justice must be done; but I contended that there
were two aspects of the law, one justice and the other
compassion or mercy. I emphasized that even after justice
had been done bitterness would remain; whereas, through
mercy he could be forgiven. Compassion leads to mercy which,
in turn, leads to non-violence in thoughts, words, and
deeds. Anyway, when I appeared in the court, I requested the
magistrate that if he could let the accused off on some
ground, I would have no objection. The magistrate, after
satisfying himself that there was no record of previous
conviction against the accused, ordered his discharge with a
warning. As a result, the accused and his relatives always
remained grateful to me. What a tremendous effect
forgiveness has! Justice could never produce this effect.
Forgiveness is the greatest of all virtues. So is purity of
thought. But alas, all our time is spent in tensions and
petty squabbles. We find it difficult to pardon others.
Remember, only a brave man can forgive others, not a weak
person. Indirectly, we remain busy in condemning our
opponents. Such persons can never realize God.
All learning and religious
pursuits are of little significance unless the qualities of
chastity and forgiveness are thoroughly understood and
cultivated in life. Because of these two virtues in
children, Saints always have a great love for them. God does
not dwell in the skies, but is within us. Unless proper
background is developed, spiritual advancement is not
possible. Kabir now explains in greater detail what chastity
is: "One who is chaste is greatest of all and is a
storehouse of all virtues "
Chastity is the main
source of all virtues. It is rare to come across a really
chaste person. Nearness to such a pure soul produces a
soothing effect and even his reflection causes awakening. It
is not an exaggeration. By virtue of ethical life, the body
of a celibate is charged with the Divine Grace,
tranquillity, and fragrance. Chastity is thus a great
blessing. "Chastdy brings all the treasures of the three
worlds (physical, astral, and causal)."
You may ask as to what
should married persons do. In olden days (in India), people
used to observe continence for the first 25 years.
Thereafter, having assimilated religious scriptures, they
would settle down as householders for another 25 years.
Having got one or two children, they would leave their homes
to enter "Vanaprastha Ashrams" for another period of 25
years, during which they would devote themselves to achieve
the ultimate Goal of life - Realization of self and God.
After reaching the Goal (in Vanaprastha Ashram), they would
become Sanyasis?those who renounce the world completely and
wander from place to place to preach religion.
The real significance of
marriage is to have a life partner who could stand by you
under all circumstances in pleasure and pain, in riches and
poverty. Both should cooperate in striving to realize God.
To go on producing children is not our aim. "If a woman has
to give birth, she should bear a saint or a philanthropist
or a great warrior. Otherwise, it is better if she remains
barren and does not waste the Divine Light."
Our forefathers generally
used to lead more disciplined lives, but now there is little
restraint. I have to say this because of the deplorable
condition in which we are. The world population is
increasing at an alarming rate of 90 a minute. We can well
imagine the population problem after 20 or 30 years. So, it
is all the more necessary for us to cultivate continence.
Christ has said: "Husbands should love their wives as Christ
loved the church." Swami Ram Tirath has also emphasized
"Unless husbands and wives love each other as brothers and
sisters, there is no hope for India." Those who are awakened
say so. The solution thus lies in leading a life of
self-restraint. Even if a person is able to find a perfect
Saint Who can give the disciple a firsthand spiritual
experience, progress on the Spiritual Path is impossible
unless we practice chastity and forgiveness. We should,
therefore, forget the past and start leading a clean life
from now on.
"There is no dearth of
scholars, religious and disciplined people; but we seldom
come across a really chaste person." Kabir says that there
are countless learned men, those who meditate and achieve
concentration, and those who are benevolant and disciplined;
but a celibate is rarely to be found. I have come into
contact with the heads of almost all religions, but only a
few lead a life of celibacy. A celibate can reach his real
Goal without making much effort. One who practices both
forgiveness and chastity has nothing to worry about and will
realize God. Let me give my grandfathers example. He was a
clean-hearted man. He would not nurse any grievance against
anyone. He became a widower at the age of 25. He never
married again, although he lived for more than 100 years. A
day before his death, he told some people that he would be
leaving the world the next day; and if they wanted to convey
any message to their dear ones in Heaven, they might let him
know. Just before his end, some of his relations asked him
to utter the name of God; but he said that "God is
permeating throughout my body and I am going straight to
Him." I am talking of chaste ones. Such people have an
innate feeling about the presence of God.
- Those who have
complete faith in God,
- They enjoy the
quintessence of true knowledge. - Gurbani
You may go on meditating all
through your life; but unless ycu practice chastity and
forgiveness, it will not bear any fruit. Anger causes
excitement. Most of the ills are psychosomatic, being tire
result of emotional disturbances caused by hatred,
animosity, and
"Chastity is the ocean of
happiness; none can fathom its depth. Without the Word none
can be called a Sadhu (disciplined soul); without capital
there cannot be a money-lender." Kabir says that chastity is
the ocean of happiness. It is so deep that none can measure
its depth. But only the Word-personified Saints can realize
it. The Word would become manifest where there is a life of
continence.
One Who loses semen,
loses everything. - Nanak
A person who practices
celibacy and forgiveness can realize God and can truly be
called a sadhu. These two virtues are of prime importance;
and wherever these exist, other virtues come in of their own
accord. Such a person by constant contact with the inner
Sound Current (Shabd) becomes a storehouse of all virtues.
One who has found a Mater,
but hs not become His mouthpiece (Gurumukh), has not yet
freed himself from lusts of the flesh. After having found a
Master, one must develop receptvity towards Him. Who is a
Gurumukh? One who has no wish of his own and lives in the
will of the Master. Such a person is automatically relieved
of all sorts of passions. As the Master is an embodiment of
chastity, chastity radiates from Him and penetrates into the
disciple the moment he thinks of Him. He is full of
compassion and forgives all. Only a Gurumukh can escape from
all kinds of indulgences since He abides in the Word of the
Master.
If ye love me, keep my
commandments. - Christ
Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
used to say: "We hesitate to commit an impious act in the
presence of a child. How dare we ever do so if we realize
that God within us is All-Seeing."
The Master is an
embodiment of the Word and gives us a contact with it. By
listening to the Eternal Music and seeing the Divine Light,
one gets inner peace.
Mind gets docile by
communion with Naam. - Gurbani
Upanishads state that by
attaining the Word, we attain all.
"So long as man has animal
passions, he cannot be a Gurumakh. When the Satguru resides
within, the disciple is free from lusts." As you think, so
you become. If your mind constantly dwells on a chaste
person, you will unconsciously attract and imbibe chastity.
Kabir says that one who becomes a Satguru incarnate would
automatically rid himself of all desires. In the first place
comes His sweet remembrance. The next is His manifestation
within. One should, therefore, exacise great caution in
adopting a Master. If He is really an Adept in the Science
of Soul, you can achieve salvation. Otherwise if you
concentrate on the form of a so called guru, you may at the
most become like him.
You might have heard of
Dadu Sahib. One day He was going bareheaded. Someone,
knocking Him on the head, inquired: "Where is Dadu's house?"
He replied: "Go this way and you will find him inside the
house." To his consternation, he found the same man (Dadu)
sitting in the house. The visitor felt ashamed when he
realized that he had insulted the Saint. Dadu Sahib said it
did not matter since even an earthen pot of insignificant
value is purchased after the buyer has made sure of its
serviceability by knocking it all over.
A Master should be
chosen after thoughtful consideration just as water
should be taken after filtration.
A perfect Master is a rarity.
The world is full of so called gurus, while there are only a
few really competent Masters. Such Masters alone are
described in the Vedas and other scriptures as Sages,
Saints, and great Souls for They are Word-personified.
Word was made flesh
and dwelt amongst us. - Christ
He Who can give you a
firsthand experience of the Divine -Light and celestial
Sound is a True Master.
- Through
association with a Saint,
- the power of
God becomes manifest within.
A Saint bestows the essence of esoteric science. -
Gurbani
Anyone can lecture,
sermonize, or give a religious talk; but a practical inner
experience can be given only by an awakened soal.
- Only an alert and
wide-awake person can practice chastity.
- The thieves of
sensual desires cannot rob such a person.
It is only an alert and
conscious person who can cultivate chastity and can attain
higher consciousness. By practicing chastity one gradually
rises into cosmic consciousness. When consciousness dawns
within, one is not troubled by the sensual thieves - we are
being robbed by five deadly passions. In the absence of
chastity and forgiveness, a thick wall of darkness comes
over the soul and we are not our own. Christ has described
this state as "death of the soul." What is death of the
soul? It is the bedimming of the Light - consciousness in
us. Attachment to material comforts lowers our
consciousness. Consciousness increases with increasing
awareness. From where does this awareness come? It comes by
cultivating compassion and chastity. See how important these
virtues are, but we do not pay attention to them. We have
already been blessed with His Grace and also with the
capital of Holy Naam. Is it not our duty then to safeguard
our capital? We should keep His commandment instead of doing
mere lip service to Him.
"One who is courteous to
one's guests is a great soul; one who offers them a seat is
a Saint. One who lacks these courtesies is either a heretic
or a pagan." Now, all this is about our external conduct.
One who is endowed with the two virtues of chastity and
compassion would welcome even an enemy courteously. A
Mahatma (great soul) has this great virtue. He welcomes
anyone who calls on Him even in the dead of night. Such a
person remains cheerful even in the face of death. To
observe celibacy in youth is a great thing. People usually
postpone it for the old age.
"Those who do not meditate
while young, would not be able to do so in old age." As in
old age physical disabilities appear one by one, we cannot
engage in meditation. One should, therefore, make a start
while young. Saints have said that one who practices
celibacy while young is a prophet. This is not a child's
play. We simply read these things and forget about them.
We do not forgive others.
In the absence of forgiveness, anger, jealousy, hatred,
backbiting, etc. emerge. Our hearts and minds are
contaminated with all such thoughts. We talk of these things
and do not hesitate to slander those with whom we are angry.
My Master used to say: "All sensual appetites have some
taste in them, but what taste comes from slandering others?
If there is any, is it sweet, sour, salty, or insipid?"
Still every family, society, and country is afflicted with
this malady. A devotee, who is an embodiment of forgiveness,
has nothing to fear. He will always greet others with love.
If someone thinks in of you, let him do that. In what way
does it affect you? Instead, the former harms himself by
being angry and jealous. If you retaliate, you will be
afflicted likewise. One who considers that the Lord is
omnipresent and is dedicated to Him is not carried away by
what others may speak of him. These are the shortcomings in
our way to self-realization and God-realization.
"Forgiveness extinguishes
the fire of anger." Great Souls go to the extent of
welcoming those who find fault with Them. Once a man went to
Lord Buddha and started abusing Him. When he was about to
leave, Lord Buddha remarked: "Brother, listen to me, if the
receiver refuses to accept the gift offered to him it would
remain with the giver. I refuse to accept the gift you have
brought for me. "
- If one abuses and
the other retaliates, there would be a shower of
- But, in case of
non-retaliation, the matter would end. - Kabir
"Where there is compassion,
there is religion. Where there is greed, there is sin. Where
there is anger, there is negation. Where there is
forgiveness, there is the Lord Himself."
Compassion leads to
forgiveness and greed leads to sin. Greed and attachment
mean desire for name or fame. For the fulfillment of one's
desires, one becomes jealous of others. One neither becomes
good nor bad by other's opinion. Those who indulge in
slandering others are unpaid apprentices of the C.I.D. of
God. God and the Master are both within you. One who is true
to the Master has nothing to fear, for his heart is pure and
purity of heart gives added strength. One cannot realize God
unless the mind is equipoised. Anger, jealousy, malice and
ill will, even in thought, fan the flames of invisible fire
all around. Kabir says that at a place like this you will
find nothing but Negative Power; but where there is
forgiveness, there is God Himself. Forgiveness washes clear
all inner defilement and leads to peace of mind. Otherwise,
anger would provoke anger and accusations
counter-accusations, vitiating the entire atmosphere.
"All quarrels and strife
emanate from abuse." Kabir says that bad language is the
root cause of all quarrels. You know how the great
Mahabharata war started? Just by sarcastic words. One single
sarcastic remark of Draupadi led to the destruction of
Indian culture and civilization.
- No power on earth
can harm one who is protected by the Guru
If someone harbors in him
thoughts of jealousy and hatred, they react doubly on him.
This is the natural law. One noble thought gives rise to
thousartds of noble sentiments, and one evil thought to
thousands of miseries. If you sow a single seed in the soil,
the plant that sprouts would bear hundreds of similar seeds.
Likewise, if you plant a mango seed, you would get hundreds
of mangoes from it. One thought may produce a soothing
effect, while the other may excite you. Every action, even a
thought, has its reaction.
"The words of a vicious
person are like so many arrows, but Saints alone can
tolerate them. If lightening falls into the sea, what damage
would it do?" Kabir says that malicious words are like
poisoned darts. But a forgiver is like an ocean that is not
affected even by lightening. So, forgiveness is a great
blessing. Kabir says that a man becomes tough by bearing
external hardships. He who has prepared his ground can
listen to the Music of the Spheres all the time.
"The earth can tolerate
digging and the forest cutting. Only a Saint can bear harsh
and malicious words and none else." You may dig the land or
cut a forest to any extent without any reaction. Similarly,
only a Saint is endowed with forgiveness and chastity.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse. You can reap only what
you sow.
Actions, good or bad, bear
their own fruits. We must understand these principles and
implement them in life. First, a perfect Master, capable of
imparting the experience of inner Light, is hard to find.
Even if you find one, you cannot reach the Goal without
purity of life and forgiveness. If you follow and act on
what I have just said, you will be liberated from the
bondage of matter and mind. These virtues will bring to you
higher consciousness and you will develop faith in the
existence of God. After all, what is the purpose of worship?
It is to develop firm faith in the existence of God. By
self-introspection, you can see what your condition is.
Learned people, moralists, and theologians generally preach
to others. What is their own plight? It is well said:
"Wanted reformers, not of others but of themselves." We
preach to others what we do not practice ourselves. The
result is that all exhortations produce little effect on
others.
Be true to He Who is
dwelling within you. If you practice the two
virtues?chastity and forgiveness?you will find that, without
much effort, you will attain higher consciousness, complete
awakening, and perfect peace of mind. Thus, you will begim
to radiate peace, harmony, and tranquillity to those around
you. |